Engineering an Empire: The Maya (S1, E5) | Full Episode | History

The script begins with a description of the ancient Maya civilization, highlighting their advanced knowledge of art, engineering, and resource management. The Maya spanned a continent for over a thousand years with vast cities, pyramids, palaces, and plazas. They were masters of their environment, but their civilization eventually collapsed, leading to cities being abandoned and reclaimed by nature. The Maya Code, a complex system of hieroglyphics, provides clues to their history of warfare, rulers, and the rise and fall of their civilization. The script also mentions the desperate situation in 869 A.D., where the Maya faced food and water scarcity, political turmoil, and abandonment of city-states.

This paragraph delves into the Maya practice of bloodletting and human sacrifice as part of their devotion to the gods. It discusses the strategic thinking of the Maya kings, who picked allies and attacked neighbors to appease their deities. The narrative then focuses on the flourishing of the Maya civilization by the third century A.D., with the rise of the city of Tikal as a significant power. Tikal's success was threatened by the rival power of Calakmul, leading to a power struggle between the two dynastic capitals. The paragraph introduces Yikin Chan Kawil, the leader of Tikal, who constructed the iconic Temple of the Giant Jaguar as a symbol of power and redemption.

The script describes the challenges and techniques the Maya used to build their monumental structures in semi-tropical environments. It highlights the construction of the Temple of the Giant Jaguar, detailing the use of limestone blocks, wooden scaffolding, and the Maya's ingenuity in building vertically with Stone Age technology. The temple's exterior was finished with a strong mortar known as Maya stucco and painted red. The paragraph also discusses the political and military strategies of Yikin Chan Kawil, who, through a series of attacks, broke the stranglehold that Calakmul had over Tikal.

This paragraph narrates the story of the city of Palenque and its critical moment in 611 A.D. when it faced defeat by Calakmul and lost its king. The subsequent rule of Pacal the Great, who ascended to the throne at the age of 12, is detailed. His mother, Lady Sak K'uk', played a significant role in his early reign. The paragraph describes the discovery of Pacal's tomb by archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier in 1949, revealing the tomb's intricate construction and the sarcophagus of Pacal.

The script discusses the architectural achievements of Pacal the Great, including the renovation of the royal palace and the creation of new architectural patterns. It describes the innovative engineering techniques used by Pacal's architects to create more open and inviting structures. The Temple of the Inscriptions is highlighted as a complex and imaginative project, featuring a psychoduct for communication and a sarcophagus symbolizing Pacal's resurrection. The paragraph concludes with the reign of Pacal's son, Kan Bahlam, who continued his father's legacy with ambitious building projects and advanced mathematical observations in architecture.

This paragraph focuses on the practical engineering challenges faced by Palenque due to its abundance of water. It describes the city's unique solution of building subterranean aqueducts to divert water and create more land for cultivation. The script also discusses the Maya engineers' possible discovery of water pressure, which allowed for running water throughout Palenque's buildings. The paragraph highlights the advanced water management systems that rivaled any other in the ancient world.

The script addresses the sudden and mysterious collapse of the classic Maya city-states in the eighth century. It discusses the停止雕刻纪念碑、停止建设活动和文明陷入黑暗的情况。段落还探讨了玛雅人向北迁移，以及在尤卡坦半岛的城市不仅繁荣而且爆炸性增长的情况。此外，还介绍了玛雅人建立的复杂道路网络，称为sacbes或白路，它们是两个盟市之间权力的象征，并且是工程上的奇迹。

This paragraph discusses the Maya's obsession with time and the stars, highlighting the unique building El Caracol, an astronomical observatory at Chichen Itza. It describes how the Maya used basic tools to track celestial bodies and build accurate calendars. The paragraph also details the architectural features of El Castillo, another significant structure at Chichen Itza, which was aligned with astronomical events and the equinox. The script concludes with the mysterious collapse of Chichen Itza and the arrival of the Spanish, who found large Maya centers abandoned.

The final paragraph narrates the challenges faced by the Maya after the arrival of the Spanish, including the ruthless enforcement of Christianity by Friar Diego de Landa and the burning of Maya texts. It discusses the survival of four codices and the growing interest in Maya archaeology in the 19th century. The script concludes with reflections on the Maya's ability to sustain an urban civilization in the rainforest and the potential for future discoveries through remote sensing technology and archaeological excavations.